Derrick



July 13 1926. 1,592,410

. w. s. ESTES DERRICK Filed March 28, 1924 INVENTOR 4 441 5. 75765. 7 -V/)I arm 7 M" I I QTTOR/VE} I J A v nane WALKER 'Es, or noise, *oirtnitoivrmneirnsattsn 'n'srns Amnesia/Marx OFs'AIDWArLKER s. 'nsrns, n'nenAsnn.

DERRICK.

n pplwativn med Maren-2s, 1924. Serial No. 702,603.

steel header when the wooden derrick is removed, and reducing the height of the wooden derrick.

- I accomplish theseobjects throughthe in1,- proved details of structure "hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein "Fig. 1 is a perspective view of 'a derrick constructed in accordance with my invention,

Fig. '2 is anelevational view of the headers of the water *table, and

Fig. 3 is a sectional View through one of the wooden -timbers and the spacing blocks with hook bolts for securing "them to the metal legsof the derrick structure.

The steel derrick is preferably erected on suitable solid foundations. The legs 1 are shown as comprising vertical angles running the entire height of the derrick. The legs may be made of structural steel and of course onacco'unt of their lengths, may be spl-i'c ed in a'inanne'nwe'llunderstood; I have shown the legs as angleshaiped, but since the particular construction of the legs of the steel derrick make no difference in the invention except in so far the efficiency of the legs per se is concerned, I wish it understood that I do not wish 'to'be limited to any particular shape or cross section of the leg since they may be made of any cross section, including pipe or 'tL'ibnl-ar legs. The

legs are tied together by girts 2 and sway braces 3 fastened at their ends to the legs by gusset plates 4 Wl1lCl1"111flV be riveted in any well known manner. The diagonal or sway braces 2 and 3 may be 'reenforced with re-en-forcing struts. The particular manner of tying in the vertical legs in so far as the present invention is concerned is not important.

At thetop of the legs '1 are end headers 5 and6 in the form of channels and on the sides are "short channel=shaped members 7 and 8, the upper flanges of which at the corners of the structure provide seats or rests for the side headers 9 and '10 which are tied together by the angles 11 and 1-2. The angles 11'an'd "l2 and the end headers 5- and '6 support diagonal braces 13 and 14: to which are connected the gin'poles 15 and 16 to be used in raising the crown block to the top of the derrick and for lifting the crown block pulleys for Wiring, inspection or repairs as will be well understood.

It will be apparent that the headers 5, 6, 9 and 10 are connected to make a substantially rigid rectangular frame, the headers 9 and 10 carrying the load when the wooden re-enforcing derrick structure is compressed under load to such an extent that the crown block restsupon the headers 9 and '10.

The steel derrick may be made of comparatively light material because during the pumping operation the derrick will not be subjected to such longitudinal compression strains, shocks or jars as will be encountered during the drilling operation, so in order to provide the necessary strength and 'resiliency for drilling, I ,re-en'for ce the steel legs of the derrick by introducing wooden r'e-enforcing timbers 17 of standard dimensions such as are available in the oil fields and the timbers are preferably doweled together to make up the wooden legs of the ire-enforcing structure. The timbers of course are of appropriate lengths and fastened to the timbers at suitable intervals are filler boards or strips '20 and '21 with spaces between their ends to provide spaces 23 for the rivet heads and bolts which pass through the gussets and through the legs. The fillers lie against the legs of the angles as will be clearly apparent by reference to the drawing and the timbers are held in place by suitable clamps, one form of which is shown in Fig. '8 as consisting of hook bolts 24, the ends of which overlap the legs of the angles. The re-enforcing timbers support the wooden water table consisting of the wooden headers 25 and 26 and the wooden headers 27 and 28. These headers can be fastened together by tie rods 2-9 and 30 with turn buckles 31 for tightening them. I

The wooden headers 25, 26, 27 and 28 constitute a water table for supporting the crown block 32, the water table being smaller than the frame formed by the steel headers 5, 6, 9 and 10, and being partially located therein so that the wooden table is guided and braced by the steel frame at all times, but particularly when the table is moved downwardly under compression of the wood when the load is heavy and moved upwardly with expansion of the wood when the load lightened. The crown block extends over the edges of the table so that it may be let down into the steel frame when the wooden derrick is removed, and engages the frame when the load is so extreme as to compress the wood sutiiciently to force the top of the table to the level of the frame. Under the last-named condition the load is not entirely transferred to the steel derrick, but is permanently carried by the wood, the steel only reinforcing the wood under the extreme load.

In view of the fact that there is a natural resiliency in the wood and particularly in such high structures, there can be con siderable longitucinal compression on the wooden legs which rest upon the foundation members and since the wooden water table is spaced above the steel tower, sup ported by the wooden legs, it will be observed that even under normal strains, the longitudinal compression or contraction of the legs may be several inches before the crown block rests upon the metallic headers, but should the strain become great enough to compress the legs consisting of timbers so that the crown block will rest upon the metallic headers, then further compression will be resisted by the metallic headers, although just as soon as the ab normal strain ceases the natural inherent resiliency of the wood will allow longitudinal expansion of the wooden legs to permit the wooden water table to ii'e-assun'ie its original relation with respect to the metallic tower. Therefore during the drilling op eration the driller will have the advantage of the spring of the cable, plus the spring of the wood.

When the drilling operation has ceased and it is desired to put the pump into operation, the entire wooden structure will be taken down, the crown block at this time resting upon the headers 9 and 10 and the tim hers and clamps may be utilized for re-en- Forcing another derrick, the original steel derrick remaining over the well as a permanent structure, thus elimii'iating the necessity ol purchase and erection oi an addi tional derrick, as well as interference with the operation of the well while the drilling derrick is being torn down and the pumping derrick being erected. It frequently impossible to remove the drilling derrick for some time after the well is completed as it is needed constantly for bailing, swabbing, etc., which, it interfered with would endanger the well as a producer, and by my method the re-eniorcing means can be removed, always having a derrick standing.

It will be observed that the ct and facility of applying the re-enjforcing members and removing them for re-use will render the cost of drilling a well less expensive than by present known methods and it will also be apparent that in the event that it becomes necessary to again re-enforce the pumping derrick for the purpose of pulling casing, or other extreme loads, the vertical timbers or legs may be again clamped to the angle shaped legs of the metallic derrick without putting in the wooden water table or wooden header members and after the pipe pulling operation has been completed, the timbers may again be removed to be re-used.

According to my invention there will be practically no loss of the timbers because these timbers can be employed again and again and finally they may be out up into lengths for other structural uses.

Attention is also called to the fact that instead oft tying in the legs of the wooden clerrich by separate braces the legs will be held in place because they are secured to the legs ot the steel derrick so the necessity for employing lumber for the tying-in members or braces is eliminated, then too, the cost of labor in constructing the wood derrick on account of its skeleton nature is considerably less than is required if a complete wooden derrick were constructed and then a steel derrick erected in its place. In other words, the cost of the wooden derrick and the steel derrick structure constructed inaccordance with my invention is greatly minimized as compared with the cost of erecting two derricks according to the generally accepted practice and yet I preserve all of the advantages of the use of a wood drilling derrick and a steel pumping derrick With many added advantages as will be observed from the above disclosure.

\V hat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In combination with a primary derrick having headers at the top, forming a -frame, a reinforcing derrick within the primary one having a table at the top, movable longitudinally within the frame.

2, In combination with a primary derrick comprising rigid and a skeleton top frame, compressible reinforcing legs for the primary derrick legs, and a table supported by the reintorcing legs within the frame and movable vertically therein under compression and expansion of the reinforcing legs.

3. In combination with a primary derrick comprising rigid legs and a skeleton top frame, relatively compressible reinforcing portion thereof extending above the frame whereby the table is guided by the frame upon compression tand expansion of the relnforolng members.

Intestnnony whereof I affix my signature. I

WALKER s. ESTES, 

